Champion Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt Saturday donated $50,000 to children in earthquake-stricken Sichuan province and wished people there to "get through the tragedy" and move forward with the inspiration of the Olympic Games.
"We came here and tried to perform well," said the Jamaican, who has claimed the gold medals in men's 100m and 200m sprint as well as the 4x100m relay at the Beijing Games. "I hope people enjoy the Games, forget the past and move on. You have to move forward after a disaster. And also, the Olympics asks people to move forward."
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Usain Bolt of Jamaica (R) speaks with Huang Siyu, 13, a survivor of the Sichuan earthquake, during a photocall at the Westin hotel in Beijing as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 23, 2008. Bolt donated US$50,000 to the Red Cross Society of China. [Agencies]
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A magnitude-8 quake hit the southwestern Chinese province and its neighboring regions on May 12, killing nearly 70,000 people and leaving some 18,000 missing. At least 10 million people lost their homes in the disaster.
Bolt said he had seen reports of the earthquake on TV. "I feel sorry for the victims, so I asked my management team to do something," said Bolt in an exclusive interview with Xinhua, after delivering the check to Liu Xuanguo, secretary-general of the Red Cross Foundation of China.
Two children from Sichuan, confined to wheelchairs as a result of quake-inflicted injuries, gifted their paintings to Bolt.
"They are kids. They deserve a better future," Bolt said, crouching between the wheelchairs. "I hope they can still enjoy themselves, because they are still kids I just want to help them. I'm looking forward to more people coming out and helping them."
Weeks before the opening of the Beijing Games, Bolt had trained in Tianjin, a port city some 120 km from Beijing. He was given a painting there depicting Chinese soldiers rescuing kids from under the rubble.
"I have kept the painting, and will definitely take it home," Bolt told Xinhua. "I really appreciate it."
Talking about the Olympic Games, Bolt said he felt welcome in China, and was moved by the affection shown by the Chinese. He said he was moved to tears on the night he won the 200m race, when more than 90,000 spectators at the Bird's Nest sang "happy birthday" for him. The sprinter turned 22 two days ago.
Xinhua
